In accordance with the Vision, Purpose, and Values, and strategic direction of the Vancouver Island Health Authority (Island Health) patient and staff safety is a priority and a responsibility shared by everyone; as such, the requirement to continuously improve quality and safety is inherent in all aspects of this position, including cultural safety and humility. Island Health and its employees are committed to culturally safe health and care, respecting Indigenous health and wellness beliefs, practices, customs and ceremonies, unique to Vancouver Island First Nations, Metis and Inuit peoples.

In a growing public health team at Island Health, we have a number of openings for Medical Health Officers (MHO). These roles offer opportunities to practice public health and provide expert public health leadership for policies, programs and services to improve health and reduce health inequities in a diverse population of 916 thousand. Your public health practice in Island Health can focus on urban or rural and remote population health issues, as well as region wide leadership in health assessment, communicable disease control, environmental health, healthy public policy, mental health promotion, substance use, Indigenous health, injury prevention or other public health issues of interest. Joining our expanding and team provides the chance build or continue your career, mentor residents and participate in research. These positions are located in the central Vancouver Island, which includes Nanaimo, and a number of smaller municipalities, rural, and First Nations communities, and offer the opportunity to work closely with a team of Medical Health Officers supporting a population of 455 000 people living in Central and North Vancouver Island.

Working within a Regional Health Authority, and reporting to the Chief Medical Health Officer, the Medical Health Officer (MHO) is part of a team that aims to continually improve the health and wellbeing of the population of Vancouver Island and associated Islands The MHO fulfils this role in accordance with the Vision, Purpose, Values and strategic direction of the Vancouver Island Health Authority (Island Health), the Ministry of Health's Guiding Framework for Public Health, the Public Health Act, and other relevant provincial, federal and local legislation.

The MHO recognizes the inherent rights and title of Indigenous peoples to govern themselves and as decision makers. Advancing, with Indigenous communities, on the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the calls to action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission is a key priority.

The Medical Health Officer provides medical leadership for the provision of public health services and programs, population health assessment, and community engagement within assigned geographic areas. The MHO is responsible for enforcing all public health legislation in assigned geographic areas, and, from time to time, other geographies in Island Health.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

1.Monitors and assesses the health of the population:

• Works with Island Health's Population Health Surveillance, Assessment and Epidemiology team and provincial partners to monitor the health and the determinants of health for the population.
• Interprets population health indicators for the executive team, external partners, municipalities and the public to advance programs, policies and interventions to improve the health of the populations.

2. Identifies and addresses community health priorities through policies, programs, and services, provided by Island Health and/or its partners.

•  Provides population health leadership for their area, including advice on community health assessment, community engagement, health inequities, and developing partnerships to address the underlying determinants of health.
• Proactively fosters relationships with local government elected and non-elected representatives, education sector, Indigenous communities and other community partners to improve health.
• Links with the appropriate local, regional and provincial agencies as required to fulfill the mandates of the position.

  3. Acts as a Public Health and Preventive Medicine consultant.

• Participates in program and service planning to improve population health and reduce health inequities within the assigned geographic area and the Health Authority as a whole.
• Manages cases of communicable diseases and large and outbreaks; has specific knowledge, judgement and media skills to perform this role. Provides direction and guidance to nursing and environmental health staff working in communicable disease control.
• Works with Population & Public Health Directors and/or Managers to administer, coordinate and evaluate designated core programs in public health.
• Participates in client-focused design, plans, delivery and evaluation of policies, services and programs; develops and evaluates short and long-range goals and objectives.
• Works with various authorities in planning of response to public health emergencies. 
• Works with health protection staff in responding to environmental health issues.
• Provides advice to clinicians in the Health Authority and the community on matters of public health including vaccination, communicable diseases and other health hazards.
• Participates in the after-hours on-call rotation with the other members of the MHO team.
• Acts as source of information about public health issues and core programs for other health care workers, the public and the news media.

4. Holds an Order in Council and fulfills the statutory responsibilities of the Medical Health Officer as outlined in the Public Health Act and other relevant public health legislation in British Columbia. Duties include but are not limited to:

•  Reports on the health of the population as required by the Public Health Act and as required to advance public health programs, services and healthy public policies.
• Serves a drinking water officer for Vancouver Island.
• Acts as the School Medical Health Officer for their region.
• Provides oversight for investigations related to licensed community care facilities as required by the Community Care and Assisted Living Act.

5. Participates in Quality Improvement, Research, Evaluation, and Training:
 

•  Participates in the Public Health Quality Councils and Clinical Governance Improvement Initiative committees.
• Provides supervision or co-supervision of residents and other trainees.
• Participates in teaching in the Island Medical Program and the UBC Public Health and Preventive Medicine Residency Program.
• Undertakes or participates in funded public health research, either independently or in cooperation with other regional, provincial, or federal agencies or departments, or academic institutions, following appropriate ethics committee approval and through methods such as attending and/or leading various meetings, projects, work groups and committees.